18 Mar Facebook’s New Features: A ‘How-To and Why-Should-You Guide’

Facebook has really become the ‘Wal-Mart’ of the internet. Whatever you need to find, you can find it through Facebook at low or no cost and with questionable characters lurking around. Businesses, entrepreneurs and bloggers are finding that Facebook (regardless of the negative themes it often garners) is truly a beast you need to know how to tame. And Facebook delivers a beast worth taming. Instead of resting on its success, it continues to employ the user by creating new and better features—like the new buttons. Facebook users wanted to say more, and say it better. Now they can.

So what does this mean for businesses? It means more engagement from your audience (your clients and potential clients). When we were limited to the ‘like’ button alone, we were often left to ambiguity and confusion. Kind words and sentiment are not often translatable through the word, or button, ‘like’. That’s where Facebook really stepped up its game. The company had this to say about their new features, “It was really important to us that this was something that could be universal.” And it is. These features (easily accessible by hovering over the ‘like’ button) offer quick emotion without rambling text and bumbling words. So what are they and how should you use them as a business-owner?

Here’s a guide:

Like: It’s traditional. Use this for continued engagement with your audience when they comment with positive words on your page and photos.

Love: Use this sparingly. No one likes an “over-lover” on social media. If there’s a sentimental post or comment on our page that really gets your business heart a thumping then, by all means, ‘love’ away.

Angry: As a business-owner, you will rarely, rarely (let’s say it again, together—Rarely!) need to use this button. Why? Because anger, even a funny sentiment, may ostracize your audience. Yes, you want to seem human, but when you’re expressing disappointment it should be met with caring words instead of an emoticon. The same goes for surprise (or ‘wow’), by the way.

Haha: Finally, a way to really show your audience and clients that you’re getting their puns and jokes in your newsfeed. This is a great little addition to Facebook. Giving a ‘Haha’ to a clever comment just sounds better than ‘like’, which is now the equivalent of the ‘lol’ of yester-year, meaning you could be staring at the computer blank-faced!

Enjoy the features, don’t be afraid. Let the range of Facebook emotions flow through your business. Just don’t overdo it!